It had been nearly two years since I had entered the gang and was seemingly one of the biggest terrors among all the gangs..... seriously, there are tonnes of them.

We had shifted from the building to another location which looked more like a fort. Jake and the rest took the decision, they ensured that I had my space and privacy and it surely was done.

Being the only female member of the gang, I was always given maximum priority and was very well taken care off.

Jake always made sure to give me the best possible training. Craig was constantly by my side... for everything.

I had started considering myself lucky to have got such an amazing company..... which had in a way helped me quite a lot in dealing with the past.

I was a strong woman, who no longer shed tears.... be it anything. I had tried to overcome a depressing past.

Craig and I had come a lot more closer. We were like the best of friends. We spent most of our days together (and quite a few nights too).

I triumphantly walked in as I succeeded in my 50th mission.... wow... half a centuary.... thats a big deal, at least for me, it was.

Well, let me clear this, we, in a way, worked almost like secret agents of the police squad... but had our own base.

We had more of a symbiosis relationship. Both with a mutual understanding.

They would provide us with information and money, and we dealt with the rest of the case.

"K, we are proud of you sweetheart." Jake complimented with a small peck on my cheek and a huge smile. He really was proud.

"We have got something for you" he said, warmly, and brought out the surprise from behind his back...

BLACK BEAUTY....

I almost shrieked with joy.

"You earned it." Craig patted my back as all clapped and I was handed over the beautiful weapon.
.........................

"Ok guys..... I'm done" I murmured making my way out of the hall stuffed with tons of people partying with a great excuse of our latest victory. Great.....

I was one among those who would rather spend time with oneself than dancing in a room smelling like pigs.

Getting out of our fort-look-alike, I walked down to the hillside where I would come everytime I needed to talk to myself.

The calming sound of the waves and the soothing breeze....... altough, probably, in front of the world I had moved on, there was still a huge part of me still stuck to the past I had.

The beach was the only place where I felt secured with my thoughts... memories, to be precise.

Sitting on the marble, facing the sea, I would usually dissolve myself in thoughts... trying to see everything with a different perspective.

I was suddenly pulled out of my thoughts as I heard someone singing.... practically shouting, a song, totally out of tune.

OK! The guy was drunk... he held a bottle of alcohol.... which probably was half empty.

"Hey" I ran to the wobbling man, before he could've had the luxury of ending his life at the bottom of the cliff, and pulled him back.

"No..." he cried and made faces like a four year old whose favorite toy is stolen.

Blue eyes... curly hair... he had handsome having sharp facial features.

He surely wasn't in a proper state of mind.

In other cases, I probably would have been shouting my lungs  out for such an act but surprisingly instead of anger bubbling in me, I could feel him sharing some wierd connection with me.

"You alright buddy?" Wow!! I sounded concerned..... for someone totally unknown to me..... strange.

He just giggled gulping down contents of the bottle.

"You called me buddy?" He asked still giggling as if hearing for the first time.

He kept mumbling and laughing occassionally as stood beside him, holding an arm to give support to the still wobbly man, and without a word kept hearing what he said altough nothing was understood clearly. I couldn't recognise whether he was sad or happy, but of all I could surely judge that he was lonely and hollow somewhere deep inside, just like I was.

I looked into his eyes, a glint of pain in his blue eyes, he smiled and laughed but sadly his eyes didn't radiate the same.

"You know what?" he ultimately said a few words which were in my understandable range, " I like you.... no one else hears me when I talk... they just walk away.." he looked straight into my eyes, " Thank you"

... and he suddenly hugged me.

It was not like all other times... not like the times I spend nights with Craig, not like the ones Jake would give me when I would successfully accomplish a mission....

it was different... it was warm, like the ones dad would give me when he was sad....

Dad.....

I pulled back, pulling myself out of the thoughts.

I gave him a small smile and looked away, but knew that his eyes still followed me.

Exactly two years has passed by... I turned twenty...

two years since I stepped into a different world...

A lot changed and a lot more had to... I still tried ways to find peace in myself.. to find peace with my past.

"What looks like ash may actually be a diamond" I jerked up at his voice barging into my thoughts suddenly.

I knew I looked confused as hell. I looked at him who held out a small dove...

Dove... a symbol of peace, like a one in Home Alone.

"You'll need it." He thrust it in my hands holding out a similar dove pendant he wore on his neck.

"Take care" he whispered in my ears, as a spark went up my spine, and without looking back, he walked away.

A tear slipped my from my eye as I stared at him vanishing into the dark. I let out a breathe, I didn't even know I was holding, and looked at the piece of peace he gave me...

STRANGE... neither did I know him, nor did he know me, maybe, but he just came and left like an angel sent by god to pass on his message.

Sighing deeply, I took out Black Beauty and looked at both the presents I got...

...a weapon of destruction and a weapon of love...

Putting on the weapon of love and shoving the weapon of destruction into my pocket, I walked back to my fort-look-alike.

Birthday to me.....

( Heya, sorry guys for such a late update because I was busy with work all this while. I'll try my best to give you regular updates from now on. Hope you enjoy reading this story. There's a lot in store.

LOTS AND LOTS OF LOVE)